PREPARE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY

United caretaker manager Andy Dawson has vowed the squad travelling to Gillingham will give their all as they look to bring three points back to Glanford Park.

The player-coach was instructed by chairman Peter Swann to oversee affairs in Kent this weekend following the termination of the contracts of Russ Wilcox and John Schofield.

He will be assisted by academy manager Tony Daws at MEMS Priestfield Stadium this weekend, as Dawson locks horns with his former manager Peter Taylor.

“We got the news yesterday,” Dawson told The Iron Player.

“I got told by the Chairman and by Dave Beeby that I’d be doing the job on Saturday with Tony (Daws) and Muzzy (Paul Musselwhite) helping.

“What we’re doing it sitting down with the players and having a chat to prepare them mentally and physically, because it is a massive game for the club and for them as individuals as well.”

Dawson will take charge of the squad for preparations going into Gillingham, which began just an hour after the removal of the previous manager, with him undertaking training, before the squad are due to travel Friday morning. He indicated that those have been his only instructions thus far.

“I’ve literally been told to go and take the game,” he continued.

“I spoke to him on Wednesday morning and that’s what he asked of me. We need to get a result, get a performance, because I don’t think we’re far off.

"We just need to get that little bit more from the players and hopefully we can go and get the three points to bring back to Glanford Park.

“Obviously things change when a manager goes and understandably there was a little bit of atmosphere around the place.

"All we can say to them guys is go out and train and give us everything you’ve got – which is what we say to them every day anyway.”

He added: “They did that. The lads who played did a warm down session and the others did a full session and gave 110%. It was a good session.”

Dawson confirmed United will still be without Eddie Nolan and Lyle Taylor through injury, but Deon Burton is likely to travel down. If not fit, he will assist the coaching staff.